Baseballs
by WintersWillow
Summary: Lea. She's almost 13, and her birthday just missed the baseball cutoff. She's not the prettiest, but she's out to destroy who is. She's not perfect, but who is? reformated, reread is suggested
1. Prologue

1Prologue

It all started with my brother's daily baseball games he had. His games weren't really an official league just a bunch of guys from the block and their friends, and their friends. It totaled up to about 50 guys, which at that they divided into five teams of ten with some odd numbers here and there. There they had eight guys in the field and two or three on the bench.

Well they all had a rule that if you weren't thirteen by June 3rd you couldn't play and that if you were still 16 when tryouts were being held you could play. Any one under 13 on June 3rd or over sixteen on that date, you couldn't play the season. Well to my luck I turned 13 on the 9th so even after begging Joe and some other guys I still couldn't play the season.

"And besides," They'd all say, "You're a girl!" And at that I'd say some words in my defense most of them sounding something like, "You've seen me play!" and "I have a better fastball than Sammie!" and they'd just walk away shaking their heads, but I knew that they knew that I did have a better fastball than Sammie.

Well I came to tryouts to sort the teams anyways but Joe pushed me out of the line which boys were called and told me the rules.

1. You have to be thirteen of this date.

2. Unless you are thirteen, you can't be on the high school field for the hour of team sorting! Well… unless you were a stranger going for a walk…

Well I herd these rules every year as I sat on the bleachers watching and some kid said whose team everyone's on was a surprise for who ever cared at home. And each year, this one being no exception, I'd quietly walk off the field and wait under the bleachers where they couldn't see me watching them sort the teams.

Well this year under the bleachers weren't as uncomfortable as the previous years where there was gum every which way and I couldn't move without the old wooden bleacher creaking. Plus there was always garbage scattered here and there just daring to make a sound if I stepped.

Luckily this year they got newer wooden bleacher, which didn't creak or moan. There wasn't any gum because there hasn't been years' worth building up under these newer nicer bleachers, which smelled actually pleasant. Well, I mean, I wouldn't exactly run around hoping that everything smelled this way, I mean it still had a stench, but in a more tolerable way. The high school, Cooper High School, or some environment-must-be-cleaner group must've been daily cleaning under here because the only garbage was a soda can that wasn't even close enough for me hit with a twig, even though I wouldn't try anyways. The only downside was I wasn't so sure how well this thing would hide me.

Either way it worked because I made it to see who were the captains and everything. After about half an hour of crouching I figured out this much:

My brother's best friend Rodriguez was one of the captains so Joe, my brother, was automatically on the team to no surprise. Well Rodriguez's team was not bad, they named them selves the Philly-Cheese-Steaks for Joe and Rodriguez's and some other guys' love for the food. Although for short we all called them the "Phillis" which they wrote on the backs of the white shirts they bought for three bucks.

Well the Phillis had eleven guys and not ten like most of the teams. Their team was some guys I knew from the block and some I didn't. After some figuring I figured out the line up for most of team:

Pitchers: Sammie, Kyle B.

First Base: Tino

Second Base: Vinnie

Third Base: Joe, Austin

Short Stop: Brian

Catcher: Rodriguez

Right Field: Kyle K.

Middle Field: Josh

Left Field: Brock

Then the other four captains as I could tell were:

Tacos: Cody

Evil Lemons: Just by the name I knew was Jackson

Yankees: Jordan

Rockies: Billy

I knew all I wanted to know and slowly from habit backed out of the bleachers and crouched while I ran to the sidewalk where I could walk by and they all wouldn't care who was passing (plus they could barely see anything because the sidewalk and street were about 100 yards from the fields).

I walked home at a fast pace down 20th and onto Morgan Ave. I past Rodriguez and Tino's house, and saw there little sister Maria playing in a kiddy pool. I waved and walked on.

I turned got on the alley Joe and I called Stray Street because there was always a random cat or dog roaming around with a kid or with more cats or dogs. We named all the cats and dogs, which was hard because after counting them all there turned out to be twenty-nine, and I wasn't the best at naming things. But I named my favorite cat, the one that looked the oldest, Lee after my name, Lea.

Lee was out so I walked over to him and pet his puffy black fur. I reached under his big belly and lifted him off the ground. He always seemed to weigh slightly more when I picked him up. I sat on the bench right by Billy's house and started stroking Lee from head to the start of his tail.

"You should see Rodriguez's team!" I said to him in a calming voice. "They have a chance at being first in league!" Lee just purred softly. "Yeah, you'd like Joe and Rodriguez to win, wouldn't you?" Lee sat there and looked at me when I didn't pet him for a second. "You're spoiled Lee." I muttered to the cat as I set him on the ground. I got up and stretched my arms.

Out of nowhere, the eleven-year-old creep that lives three houses down from me was in front of me.

"Hey how'd you get here?" I asked accusingly. "And why?"

"Why are you talking to a cat?" He snapped back. "Don't you have friends to talk to?" He asked in a smarty- know-it-all voice.

"Shut up Quincy." I said calmly, and then I snapped. "You know darn well they're out trying out for the baseball teams!" I waited a couple seconds. "And I can't tryout because-"

"-because you're a girl!" He mocked. That was the line.

"Shut up creep! I'm a proud girl! I can throw a fastball that bruised Joe! And not because I'm a girl! It's because I'm not thirteen yet!" I turned around and went to my garage. Quincy tried to follow but I closed the garage door when he came. I turned on the lights and looked at my garage.

It was the same as always. Two shag rugs the size of cars covered most of the floor which was other wise the color or grime and always got my bare feet full of mud like dirt that I had to scrub off before entering our house. There was an old sofa and chair that used to be in the living room. There was a wooden coffee table that has always been there as long as I could remember. In the corner was the computer Joe and I shared. There was also an old refrigerator and a small sink. The rest was our bikes, my skateboard, a couple fans, a small cupboard full of cups and dishes (which Joe and I had to wash because we were the only ones using them). And last of all was Joe's Dog's cage where his black and white Collie-Shepard-Kesha was panting and wagging her tail. On top of the cage were some dog toys and on the side was her food and dish.

I turned on the fan that blew on the computer and turned up the fan that was almost always blowing on Abby, who right now sounded like she needed that and water. I grabbed her dish and began filling it up with water from the sink. I grabbed a handful of ice cubes from the freezer and put them in her water making it a cold as I could. I opened her cage and let her run around and drink water.

I turned on the computer and started up the Internet, which we finally just got DSL. I opened up the media player and played my play-list, which included some Yellow Card, Green Day, Good Charlotte, Hot Hot Heat, and some songs from the Moulin Rouge.

I turned on the speakers and made the music at a lower level than my blasting, which got too many complaints from the neighbors. The song was "Novocain" by Green Day. I signed on aim and realized it was pointless; all my friends were at the baseball tryouts, except for Siva from school, which they should be coming home now too.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Joe, Rodriguez, Tino, and Kyle K. walked in the garage with evil smiles on their face and they were out of breath.

"So, what you do this time?" I asked while instant messaging Siva.

"Oh nothing." Kyle said.

"Who'd ya ding dong ditch?" I asked as though these were daily, which it was, but normally I was part of this. "Quincy and Anthony?" I asked referring to the two brothers who we all hated.

"No, not this time." Tino said.

"It was more like Bethany." Rodriguez said laughing.

"I'll never hear the end of this from her, idiots!" I said actually turning around to look at them.

Bethany was the popular girl in school. She and I hated each other. If someone ding dong ditched her, she would assume it was my friends or me. I could already imagine it in my head.

_"I'm going to get you Lea! I'll have Raven or Salina on you right away, when you least expect it." _

Raven and Salina were Bethany's bodyguards if I had a baseball or a bat I could take them out. But I was never good at throwing punches because Joe always hurt me when I did.

"Don't worry, Bethany likes me so I can get her to do whatever I want!" Laughed Kyle.

I imagined that too, it made this more humorous.

_"Lea, I will get-" Bethany would start. _

_"Hey Lea! Where were you this weekend?" Kyle would say. "Did you hear? I'm on your brother's team!" _

_"Yeah!" I'd laugh, "You guys are sure to win this year!" _

_"What-! Huh?" Bethany would stutter. "Hi Kyle! When did you get here? I… was just telling Lea how I'd get her… a lovely gift for her birthday!" Bethany would then blush and turn around to walk away._

This would really work well because Kyle and Tino were in seventh grade with Bethany and me. It was really nice because they also got along with Siva who I met last year.

"That'd be hilarious!" I said when I came back from my mind.

"See! We'd be entertained and she wouldn't mess with you!" Tino explained.

"Yeah, she wouldn't but her bodyguards…" I muttered loud enough for them to hear. Then big brother hero steps in.

"They hurt you they'll be feeling a whole lot of more hurt!" Joe pronounced

"Yeah!" Jesse said, I guess sense I known him so long he could be like a big brother.

"Me too!" Tino said.

"That's pointless! Guys! Neither she _nor_ her bodyguards are going to hurt her. Remember she _likes _me!" Kyle pointed out. I had an objection but I didn't know how to word it.

_Well DUH! She likes you. But her body guards don't and god! They'll hurt me when I least expect it! As in when I don't have anyone to help me!_

That was what I wanted to say but I didn't out of past experiences. Besides, Kyle with his thick skull wouldn't listen.

Jesse, Kyle, and Tino sat on the couch while Joe got some sodas for them. I turned around on the computer chair and went back to talking to Siva.

**GothGalaxy: Oooooo they're bad boys! **

**TomBoy: You and I do it too! **

**GothGalaxy: Yeah but we aren't the idiots who ding-dong her! **

**TomBoy: True, too true!**

"Hey guys!" I said. "Siva says you guys are idiots for ding dong ditching Bethany!"

"Yeah but she does it too!" Kyle said.

"Yeah but not the puppy!" I said referring to Bethany's sappy 'habit' of following whichever boy she likes. Ten times this week I had to yell at her for following Kyle when we were talking.

"Don't call her that!" Tino said after taking a sip of his Mountain Dew.

"Whoa!" Kyle and I said together. I got up and knocked on Tino's brown-black mop of a head.

"Are you okay Tino? This is new." I said after knocking three times. Tino swatted at my hands.

"Stop it! I'm fine!"

"Yeah right!" I said sarcastically to Tino, who was now trying to comb out the hair, which I messed up, with his fingers.

I bet you think that that that's weird. My hair, which was a short as Pink's, was shorter than Kyle's blonde 4 inch long hair hair, and was as long as Tino and Rodriguez's brown-black hair.

I went back to the computer to talk to Siva.

**TomBoy: Ha ha guess what!**

**GothGalaxy: I hate guessing games! **

**TomBoy: Well besides that! Tino! **

**GothGalaxy: What Lea! What! **

**TomBoy: He got mad when I caller her 'the puppy'… **

**GothGalaxy: Whoa! **

**TomBoy: I know! That's what Kyle and I said too! **

**GothGalaxy: LoL! **

**TomBoy: Stop laughing! **

**GothGalaxy: But this is funny! **

**TomBoy: It's hard enough when she likes my friend and worse when my friend likes her!**

**GothGalaxy: Why is it so bad anyways! **

**TomBoy: When you hate her truly like I do, you'll understand. **

**TomBoy: I got to go. Sorry! **

**GothGalaxy: Bye!**

_**TomBoy has signed off **_

I signed off and turned off my music.

"Here Joe!" I said as I got off the computer chair.

I got a soda and sat on the chair looking at the three boys sitting on the couch. It was awkward, _really_ awkward.

After about three minutes it stopped.

"Well that was a nice awkward moment!" I said sarcastically, "I can't wait until the next one!" I took sip of my soda and realized they were still quiet.

"Hello?" I said, "I wasn't serious!" I looked down because sometimes I has grease or a stain on my pants and they noticed and cared.

_Nope! No stain…so what are they staring at?_ I thought. I checked my tank to see what was wrong. _Nope! Gees I wish they would stop._ It wasn't until I waved my hand in their faces and they still never stopped, I turned around and saw Bethany and her best friend Kelsey walking past the garage window.

"Not them!" I said. "I know you hate Bethany but do you have to like her stupid cousin?" I said.

Kelsey was her older cousin who was Rodriguez's (for short we call Rodriguez Rez) age. This meant she was 15 like Rez and Joe.

Ok, Rez, Joe, and Kyle liked her. They're common guys who like a tall, blonde, smooth haired, big bust, and preppie girl. I wish they didn't talk about it with me because it gets annoying to hear, "She's hot!" and "She's an angel!" If you've ever heard a friend talk about your worst enemies like that, you'd understand. But most likely your best friend is the same gender and your enemy is too so that doesn't happen much.

"Ok, don't get droll on the couch, I _kind of _like to sit there," I said.

"She's so hot!" Kyle started.

"Oh God! Please help them shut up!" I said looking at the ceiling.

"You're just jealous!" Joe said.

"Of what?" I asked, "Because I'm not a super slut?"

They shut up for a minute to think.

"Try it, maybe some one will like you then," Rez joked

"Over my dead body!" I barked. "Would you really want to see me dress like her?"

"It's worth a shot…" Tino said. I wasn't winning here; they were supposed to realize that it wouldn't work.

"Fine!" I replied. I started heading for the door to our house. _Oh come on Joe! _I thought, _aren't you going to protect your sister?_ Joe didn't say anything as I closed the door. _Some brother you are! _

I crossed through the house to my room in the back. I open my door, got in my room, and shut the door all within three seconds. I don't know why. I stood there, my back on the door, wondering what I was going to do. I couldn't seriously pull this off. I could've gone back to the garage, but instead I formed a plan.

_Meanwhile:_

"You think she'll do it?" Kyle asked Tino.

From the computer Joe responded, "Not if she's the Lea I know..."

"But she never loses a dare," Rodriguez said.

"So Joe, if she does, what are you going to do?" Kyle asked.

Joe turned in his chair to look at Kyle, "I'm not looking, sisters are not meant to be looked at like that by brothers..." He explained, and turned to look at the computer screen.

A few minutes passed.

"What's taking her so long?" Kyle asked.

"Seriously..." Tino agreed.

I rummaged through my drawers to find what I was looking for. I found everything and put it on.


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"I regret this." I muttered to myself as they came over to see what I looked like.

I was wearing super short jean shorts form last summer, along with a camisole from then too. The camisole was white, small, and worn, so it was thin and is see through. My bra, even without the camisole being thin, was seen on the sides of my body under my under-arms. And to top it all off, the too small camisole came to about three inches above my belly button.

"Whoa Lea!" Tino exclaimed.

"Was that good or bad?" I asked in a scared voice.

"That was good!" Kyle answered for Tino. Kyle stuck his hand out towards my back.

"Touch me and die!" I said violently. Kyle jerked his hand back. I looked at my side and slapped Rez's hand, which was coming towards me also. Kyle attempted again when I wasn't looking.

"If you keep trying I'll change back." I snapped.

"In here?" Tino said joyfully.

"No not here you pervert!" I said shocked. Joe stayed at the computer and didn't even turn around. Then I figured it out. He didn't stop me, he wasn't going to look. But he could've helped me by saying don't.

Out of complete curiosity, I asked, "Does this make me look fat?"

"No," Kyle said.

"I think you look sexy," Rez said.

"Amazing what a little extra skin can do..." I said under my breath. I wonder what would happen if I didn't even have the camisole on. They'd probably drool.

"Are you calling us shallow?" Tino asked.

"Well, kinda..." I said.

"Well, Miss Perfect, would you rather go out with an attractive, good looking boy like me, or an ugly guy?" Kyle said.

"Point proved, minus the 'you' part," I agreed, it was a bit shallow, but it's not our fault, we're programmed that way by the media.

I really wanted to end this outfit. It was making me uncomfortable, letting three of my best friends see me showing so much skin that I might as well be in my underwear. I can barely stand wearing a v-neck. This WAS a bit much. Three more seconds, they like it. Three... two... one.

"Okay, sharing time is over!" I said like a kindergarten teacher telling her students that play time was done.

"Awe! But you're hot!" Kyle said.

"Fine you guys can hug me and be done!" I complained.

"YAY!" Kyle, Rez, and Tino exclaimed. They formed a little line, kind of cute in a way, but bizarre. So _now_ they want to hug me. I see how it is.

Rez was first. He hugged me, picked me up in that hug, set me down, and tried to lower his hands. I warned him angrily.

Then Tino had his turn. He just put his arms around me and stayed there.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, "Save it for the laundry commercial." Then he released before I'd push him off.

Then it was Kyle. He hugged me, squeezed me like a bear hug, put his head against mine and whispered something. I didn't hear it but I knew that I'd rather not hear it. I nodded my head as though I heard anyways just he wouldn't try to stay. He put his head on my shoulders and I had to pry him off with the help of Rez.

"Oooooo!" Rez and Tino said after Kyle was off me. They said raising the pitch in the middle and lowering at the front and end.

"Oh shut up!" I hollered as I wiped off my feet, opened the kitchen door and walked to my room.

I changed into the jeans and the black tank top I was wearing earlier. And went back to the garage. Rez, Tino, and Kyle were sitting on the couch and had their head tilted in a dazed way. I sat on the chair and had Abby jump on my lap. I sat there stroking her and looking at the dazed look on the boys face. I knew they were still thinking about what happened in the last ten minutes.

"If you say anything about that to anyone," I said staring them in their eyes. This apparently knocked them out of their stupid stares, "I will figure out a way to hurt you." I said mostly looking at Rez who would be a challenge for me to get unlike the two boys sitting next to him. Rez opened his mouth to object but I realized he had just comprehended what I had said.

_Poor Rez…_

Joe got off the computer and turned it off. Then he took the computer chair and sat by us. We started talking and joking and fooling around. It was fun, but Kyle and Rez were staring at me strangely for that hour. I ignored it after ten minutes. We were laughing and everything when we realized Kyle wasn't talking. He was gazing at the floor and didn't stop until Tino knocked on his head.

"What-huh?" Kyle stuttered, blinking his eyes wildly and shaking his head as he did.

"Kyle was actually thinking!" I said surprised.

"Shut up L-e-uh!" Kyle said. He only called me L-e-uh when he was really mad. Although I thought the name was fun to say. Especially when I said really fast. L-e-uh. L-e-uh.

"Yeah! Lea-dra!" Joe pitched in.

"Its Le-andra, moron!" I said. Joe was mocking how my teachers said my name in the beginning of the year, along with calling Siva, Silvia and not Se-va.

"Hey Ellie!" Kyle said to me. "You can go on your computer now!"

"Good idea!" I said. "Ellie? What is that?"

"It's from L-e-uh," He said. "I was seeing if it fit you right. And it's not bad for you." I raised and dropped my shoulders to say 'ok, whatever'.

I got on the computer and signed in. I didn't put on my music because I herd the boys whispering. Siva tried to talk to me.

**GothGalaxy: Hey! What's up! **

**GothGalaxy: HELLO! **

**TomBoy: Sorry, hold on. Trying to hear something… **

**GothGalaxy: I'll wait.**

I tried to listen to the whispers. I didn't hear everything only parts, but enough to understand.

_"What happened?" _

_"I dreamed…Lee."_ I knew they meant me and not the cat.

_"That's my sister … dude!" _

_"I know… weird… liked it." _

_"You… enjoyed it? _

_"I know!"_ What! So they can't like me and be happy with it.

_"I wish…never happen!"_ This is depressing!

I stop listening: I herd enough. Kyle dreamed of me and he wished it never happened.

**TomBoy: Ok done I herd enough. **

**GothGalaxy: What's up? **

**TomBoy: It's nothing **

**GothGalaxy: I assume your telling me the truth **

**TomBoy: Don't worry… its nothing **

**GothGalaxy: So how are the knuckleheads anyways? **

**TomBoy: As always **

**GothGalaxy: And you **

**TomBoy: As always **

**GothGalaxy: And everyone else? **

**TomBoy: As always **

**GothGalaxy: Can you stop saying that? **

**TomBoy: As always. **

**GothGalaxy: ok just stop**

I started writing 'as always' but something told me she wasn't kidding so I erased it.

**TomBoy: Sorry **

**GothGalaxy: Tis ok. **

**TomBoy: I'm figuring you've been hanging around Jack lately. **

**GothGalaxy: Tis ain't that bad! **

**TomBoy: And you are the grammar queen! **

**GothGalaxy: Shut up **

**GothGalaxy: Got to go, my ma needs to go on! **

**TomBoy: Bye!**

**_GothGalaxy has signed off_**

"Hey guys what are you doing?" I asked. They were still discussing the dream.

"-Discussing Major League Baseball!" Kyle quickly shot out.

"Cool, I'll join!" I said.

"No!" Tino said nervously, "Its, umm, not interesting!"

"Ok, give up the act, I eavesdropping on your conversation earlier."

"What are you talking about?" Tino replied in a nervous voice.

"Kyle had a dream about me! I told you, I was listening." I insisted.

"Ok she knows… Let's tell her." Joe gave in. I sat down on the couch on the opposite side of Kyle for the awkward reasons.

"I only herd bits of what you were saying but I herd enough; Kyle dreamed of me and didn't like it!" I said.

"That's not true," Rez said.

"What do you mean? He didn't dream?"I asked.

"No he dreamed," Joe started to explain. But he was cut off.

"Oh boy did he enjoy it!" Tino exclaimed.

"What the…" I started. "Kyle? What the heck happened in your dream?"

"Well…" He started. "I was imagining that after I hugged you, well…"

"Kyle!" I said angrily. "You're not stuttering now!"

"I was going on! Well… everyone vanished but you and me. And then you sat on the couch and looked and me with the puppy eyes! So I came over and sat by you. You scooted closer to me. You wouldn't stop until we were right next to each other, touching." Kyle said.

"Well this was obviously a fantasy!" I interrupted.

"I know! Well continuing. We were right next to each other and I put my arm around your shoulders." Rez and Tino made that oooo noise again. "And you managed to get closer."

"Yeah, that's enough, it's my entire fault." I said blushing. I didn't like Kyle so why was I blushing?

"What ever, you don't have hear the rest!" Tino said in a challenging voice.

"Just for that…" I said, looking at Tino with an evil glare as I did.

"We turned in to look at each other. I leaned in and you followed. We kissed."

"EWWWW!" I exclaimed. Kyle and me? "EW! NO! EW! EW! EW!" Kyle and I had known each other for four years, we were practically best friends, and we couldn't! EW!

Kyle got up walked past Rez and Tino, who scooted down, and sat between Tino and me where there was a space from scooting down. I sat as close to the armrest as possible when he sat down.

"Want to give me that kiss you promised?" Kyle asked.

"What kiss?" I said angrily.

"When I was hugging you!" Kyle said. "I said, 'will you promise to give me a kiss?' and you nodded your head!"

"DUDE! I did that just to pretend I heard you!" I argued.

"But you promised, willingly or unwillingly!" He whined. Joe was leaving the room to go to somewhere.

"Yo! Joe! Where you go!" I said as I always did when he was leaving. We made it up a year ago.

"Gees Lee! It's none of your bee!" This was his reply as always. "Rez and I are going to my room to play video games; Kyle and Tino aren't coming to your luck."

"Oh great!" I muttered to myself.

"Oh and Tino! You got to be home in half an hour to baby-sit Maria!" Rez said. Tino nodded and Joe and Rez left. Tino and Kyle stared at me.

"What?" I said with an attitude. I love that word, attitude. It's so fun to say!

"You know!" Kyle said, "The promise!"

"Just so you'll shut up!" I said. I walked over and pecked him on the cheek then sat down.

Now that wasn't as easy as it sounds. It took courage. And it also took my lunch, but mostly courage.

"What was that?" Kyle said. What was he expecting? A kiss shared by Romeo and Juliet?

"I kissed you I'm done." I said.

"Hey, Lea can you give me kiss?" Tino said.

"What do I look like? Besides you like the puppy!" I said looking at him with my glare. Now I didn't even want to kiss Kyle, so why would I want to kiss Tino too?

"I won't talk nice about her when you're around!" He quickly offered. I thought about it quickly… Eh, it'll also raise his self-esteem. Might as well kill two birds with one stone…

"Hey I'd love that!" I said. I quickly got up and pecked his cheek. Then to Kyle I asked, "Kyle, can I peck you on the cheek to piss off Bethany?"

"But then people would think that we were going out… awesome!" Kyle thought aloud. How a good plan can sound so bad so easily, still intrigues me.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," I said, sounding a little down. "Well with her she'll go out with Tino to make you jealous and then we'll 'break up' and we're free to be single." Poor Tino, He'll be used… for Kyle… his best friend. Wait! Why didn't anyone think of this before?

"Yeah and Tino, you'll have to make her like you, and you'll stay together while we go 'apart,'" Kyle added, looking at Tino.

"How could she resist me?" Tino said.

I laughed.

Then Tino and Kyle whispered. After a brief moment they stood tall like they were about to declare independence from some great king or queen.

"For a kiss on the lips for me," Kyle said.

"-And a kiss on the cheek for me," Tino said.

I thought about this, I mean, kissing Kyle on the cheek was a first, why would I be so fast all of a sudden? They were using me to get some kisses, what in the world is wrong with them? Those cheapskates. Why-I-Outta…

"Fine but you better not start going around telling people I'll give them kiss to help me." I said. No, I didn't say that, I blurted it.

"Aye, Aye, Captain!" Kyle said putting his hand up to his forehead. And he was looking cute like that too. Why was he looking so cute?

First I pecked Tino. It was quick and painless enough.

Then I had to kiss Kyle. I thought of ways to get out of it, but I realized everything I'd say would sound like a 10 year old trying to get out of doing chores… 'Do I have too?'

"You know never had a real kiss." I said to Kyle shyly.

"What! How?" one of them said. I forget which, but it was one of them. One of their ignorant mouths said that. After all, Kyle and Tino both got theirs a month after their birthdays, which were four months before mine. Not to mention they had played spin the bottle several times, all of which, I was not included in. Luckily.

"I never had a boyfriend you idiots!" I said softly.

"Yeah, she's right!" Tino agreed. You better agree, otherwise one of those boys at school has been saying something that's not true. If that were the case, I'd hate to be that boy.

"Well let me give you your first kiss." Kyle said scooting over.

"Get away from me before I hurt you," I warned. He scooted away from me. Far away… Now why did he want me to kiss him again?

"Let's get this over with," I complained as I got closer to Kyle. Why did I agree, why? It better be worth it. It was awkward, just sitting there, him wanting a kiss. He looked at me. I tried to give him a reasoning look, but he wouldn't accept. Words, I realized, wouldn't do any good either.

"Lea, I knew this would happen. How bout this," Kyle started saying, "Close your eyes, now tilt your head this way," He said tilting my head with his hands. I opened my eyes, keeping my head tilted, and giving him a what-the-heck look. "You don't know what to do, so I'm making it easy on your part."

Psh, easy, he called it.

"Now follow my lead and close your eyes."

His lead, as he called it, was close your eyes and lean towards me until our lips touch. The sensation when our lips first touched startled me, causing me to pull back. It was a bit uncomfortable, you know, considering that Tino was watching too.

Surprised, Kyle asked, "That does not count, and I think I know why you stopped," Kyle paused, "You don't want Tino watching, not that bad, I can totally understand, even though, I don't care," I watched him with wonder, talking so casually about something so alien to me, "Tino, for Lea's sake, go on the computer, or go look in the corner or something. What ever will stop you from watching us..."

Kyle looked at me, "That better?"

I heard Tino typing away, obviously preoccupied. I nodded, still a bit wondered by how casually he was taking this.

"Then let's try again..."

This time it was different. I leaned in towards him, slightly tilting my head to the right, and closing my eyes. Then our lips touched.

Right there and then we connected. This wasn't the Kyle I knew when I was nine. This wasn't the Kyle I knew a second ago. This was the Kyle I'll know now.

He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer. Without my consent, he poked his tongue through my lips, and felt my tongue. And I won't tell him, ever, but I liked it.

Then there was this breathing problem. Until I felt him breath through his nose a few seconds later, I was about to pull up from under this water, although water means trouble, and this, well this was a blessing... I inhaled through my nose, be it wrong or right, it extended this kiss, and I liked it.

Although I liked the kiss, Kyle and Tino were not going to know. So I pulled.

And now my mind was absorbing everything that had just occurred.

My eyes were wide and my heart was thumping. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. I couldn't believe it wasn't popping out of my chest like it did in cartoons. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. I was breathless. I couldn't say anything. I wouldn't either, in fear that my daze might cause me to say words that, well, I'd rather not say. My eyes were open. I didn't blink once in a minute. It felt like a different world, like it was all gone. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

When life came back to me, but not completely, I caught my breath; I blinked, and shook my head as to clear my mind.

"Not bad am I?" Kyle said jokingly.

"Uh," I was still speechless, I mean, life came back, I was blinking, but I was gone. Not that I'd admit why…

"She's lost! Help her Kyle!" Tino said half sarcastic. I wasn't paying attention, had I been, Tino wouldn't have been too happy.

Kyle hugged me and kissed my cheek. I still wasn't noticing. I was still replaying my first actual kiss in my mind. It might not have been under stars at night, but everything still felt so right, I thought, quoting lines from my friend's poem.

"She felt the connection, but she'll deny it all. Remember the Billy thing?" Kyle said to Tino, obviously knowing I was still out of myself. I could tell he was grinning, though I couldn't see him and he had his arms still around me, giving off warmth that would normally be uncomfortable in heat like this. Life finally actually came back.

"Why are you so happy?" I asked Kyle. That wiped that grin off his face.

"Why were you so entranced?" Kyle shot back.

"I was trying to get your taste out of my mouth. Yuck," I said, satisfied with me.

It was quiet (too quiet); Kyle obviously could not have a comeback, or at least a respectable one, to that burn.

"Get your arms off me!" I barked suddenly. He jumped and unwrapped me. He was right. I scooted closer to him. He was wrong. I lightly punched him in the gut. He was right. I kissed him. He was wrong.


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning and the sandman abandoned me.

_Editors Note: A block a way Kyle couldn't sleep. He never really liked Leandra in any way other than a friend; he was just joking and looking for a kiss. It was not supposed to be this way. Have they ever vowed to never fall in love with their friends? _

Sunday Kyle was up north, Tino was "busy", but I knew he was avoiding me.

Two days later I stopped at Tino's house to walk to school with him as I always did. We stopped at Kyle's house too before we left. We always did this too. Before we got to Kyle's door, Tino asked me a question.

"What was that Saturday night?" He asked.

"I like Kyle." I simply said.

"Elle, you punched him, kissed him and then said you had to go to eat dinner!" Tino said wide-eyed and somewhat mad.

"I know, and that dinner was good!" I said innocently.

"Ok, whatever. I have one more question." Tino said giving up on the last argument.

"Shoot." I said turning on Kyle's driveway.

"Are you and Kyle going out then?" Tino said curiously.

"Um… well…" I hesitated for a moment. This question was eating away at me the last two nights as I attempted some sleep. Finally I got something out. "I really don't know. I like him but I don't know what he thinks."

"El, He doesn't like you," Tino started. My head dropped.

"Yeah, I love you!" said Kyle while bursting out his front door. My head lifted and my soul did too, for a second there I felt like I was in heaven.

"That's what I was going to say Elle, but he popped up… Well really it was planned…"

"You really mean it?" I asked Kyle hopefully.

"No! I just couldn't sleep the last two nights because I didn't like you Elle." He said sarcastically.

"Awesome!" I said, "I actually caused someone to lose sleep. Woot Woot!"

We were two blocks from Morgan Street Middle School when Tino popped the question again. Kyle and I looked at each other. The answer was obvious. We opened out mouths to speak but Tino said his share first.

"Well duh! Of course, you guys practically love each other!"

"Love is a strong word." I said plainly, "Don't use it."

Kyle asked the question, which I thought Tino would ask, "What do you mean 'don't use it'?"

Stupid boys, they'll never learn.

"Simple, we're too young to actually understand love," I said. And no one said anything else.


	5. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

I loved the sound of the baseball hitting the metal bat. It sounds so peaceful. It was my favorite thing to hear. Rez kept on making the noise while tossing the ball in the air and hitting it to the infield so they could practice. In the outfield, Joe and all the outfielders were playing catch. The high school had already ended but I herd their dismissal bell that kept going anyways. It was four o clock and they had only half an hour before the evil lemons were coming to practice. I was sitting on the bleachers watching their first practice go smoothly.

I was listening to my All American Rejects CD while watching the practice.

I was thinking about our umps and how I've been busy helping Brian's older brother (Corey, the one who started the baseball mini league) sort out everything, like practices and games, and who will be the umpire at all the games. Corey normally is one but now that there are a few games each week, we need another one, also for back up anyways… Our other ump is now my older sister, Liz, who is always in hibernation her room, but she decided to be the other ump because she had just graduated from high school and she had nothing to do, because her friends were either talking about colleges or shopping for college. Liz didn't want to shop for college stuff because she got almost everything needed from her graduation party. In fact Liz was avoiding everything that involved college because this was her last free summer without working.

Rodriguez needed some pitcher catching practice with Sammie and Kyle B. so he asked me to hit the baseballs to the infielders. I walked onto the field and grabbed the bat that was leaning against the backstop. I picked up the ball that was lying on the ground and tossed up just to see how fast it fell. It was a normal speed so I threw it up swung the bat and it went to second base. Vinnie tossed it to Tino, who threw it to Austin, and he threw it back to me.

I hit it again and it went to the shortstop, Brian. He passed it to Tino. Tino threw it quickly to Austin. He lazily tossed it to me. I wasn't going to say anything because I wasn't the captain/coach. Even though there were no coaches.

"Austin!" Rez called from behind the backstop where he and the pitchers were practicing. "What was that?"

"It's not like it's the game!" He called. "Besides its just Lea!"

Humph! Just Lea?

"If I catch it again you're on the bench first game!" Rez warned. He went back to catching.

I went on with the hitting. It went to Austin, to Tino, to Brian, back to me. It was all the same for the next 20 minutes. It went to some one, they passed it, they passed it, and I got it back. Even though the routine was the same they didn't miss any balls; they even caught the fouls and ones that were way out there. Rez chose a good team. Rez and Joe called the team in for the huddle over home base. I sat on the bleachers waiting.

_"Ok guys, we're doing good!" Rez said "Let's keep concentrated on baseball for the practices and especially the games. Don't let girlfriends, school, or social lives get in the way during the games and practices!" _

_"You guys screw up this season and you'll be screwed up. This is my last year and I want it to be good. A loss is a loss, but a dead season is shameful." Josh said. _

_"RIGHT!" Some guys echoed _

_"Ok let's go!" _

_"1…2…3…BREAK!" they all shouted_

I met up with Kyle and Tino, who were leaving the field hurriedly.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Ignoring… Lemons... And… Jack…" Kyle said.

"Okay…" I said cautiously.

"Long story," Kyle said as we were turning on the street.

"Tino?" I asked.

"What! I don't know anything!" He said, obviously knowing it better than Kyle.

"Spill,"

"I don't know anything!"

"You're lying, I can tell."

"What! No I'm not!"

"Ten,"

"I'm serious"

"Nine,"

"Fine!"

"Eight,"

"WAIT!"

"Seven,"

"Stop counting down, it's making me nervous,"

"Six,"

"Hey did you notice that when you were counting down on eight and nine it rhymed?"

"Yes, five,"

"Lea,"

"Four,"

"L-e-uh!"

"Three," I raised my fists.

"Uh, uh, umm…"

"Two," He normally got it out before I even reached four.

"Okay! Okay! Jack likes you, he's mad at Kyle because you guys go out!" Tino said, out of breath when he was done like he had just explained a long complicated

I was shocked. I was annoyed. That was weird; Kyle didn't do something idiotic to annoy Jack… Why didn't they tell me? I can manage to fix it. How didn't I notice this? Well duh! I'm oblivious to it all. But Jack was acting strange today, always being less friendly than normal to Kyle, and friendlier to me. How come I realize this when it's too late? I hate that. Kyle sped up and went ahead of me; Tino followed.

"Hello, Leandra." A familiar voice said. His arms tried to cradle me in a hug.


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

"Get off me…" I said annoyed. He let go as if I suddenly turned scorching hot. I turned around to face Jackson.

"You go out with Kubby?" He asked normally.

"Yeah, and your point is?" I asked accusingly… I had prepared for this in my mind the second Tino told me what was going on.

"Because, coincidently I was going to ask you out today, but then… I herd." He said the 'I herd' part like it was some top-secret password or mission or something that passer-bys shouldn't hear. It sounded kind of creepy and evil.

"I see," I said in that top-secret voice, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"You'll see…" He said with a smirk on his face.

"If you hurt anyone…" I started.

"Yeah, yeah, I know; I'll be feeling a whole lot more hurt, you're brother told me that when I told him I liked you." He said plainly.

_WHAT! Joe knew and didn't tell me! Why! Well, of course jack didn't want him to tell me... dumb boys..._

"Are you saying Joe- my brother- the same one who punches me without reason- actually cares about me?" I asked, highly doubting my brother, of all people, to protect me, as much as it _is_ the elderly brother thing to do.

"Well yeah, it's not like he hates you, I mean, he _is _your big brother and all..." Jack said.

"Well yes he _is _my big brother but he also _is _the torture I go through daily, twice daily on special occasions," I said, proving my point in an argument that is just plain law of nature. Its just the way life is, a brother protects his sister, even though he punches her at any given moment for no reason, and even when she can fend for herself, I mean, me and Joe, we got the whole you-punch-me-and-I-will-punch-you-back-harder thing going for us. So, he knows I can bruise people. And by the way, our philosophy of getting even with a bit more force happens to hurt when you are getting the fifth punch.

"Well, either way, I have Kyle and you don't have me, so alls swell... G'day Sir Jack!" I said and walked away.

"BUT LEA-" Jack shouted to me. I felt bad, Jack was my friend. I couldn't show a weakness though so I sped up and caught up with Kyle and Tino.

"What did _he _want?" Kyle said, disgusted with Jack, obviously.

"Just trying to get me to change my mind, but I can't for two reasons; you and the puppy." I said with nonchalance. Kyle stopped.

"The puppy... her... she... her..." He stuttered. Tino and I exchanged confused looks before Kyle explained.

"She's coming towards us! HIDE!" Kyle dragged Tino, him, and me behind a bush. We motioned for us to be silent.

"But why?" I whispered. He shushed me and peeked above the bush. I was uncomfortably sitting while Tino and Kyle took turns peeking over the bush.

It was spring time muddy behind that bush, and if I ruined any more pairs of jeans, my mom would kill me. So I was on the tips of my toes while couching my head and body to keep me off the ground, and boy does that tire you fast. I tried asking again what was going on.

"Shush Elle; do you really want her to find us? She'll have a huffy fit if she does." Kyle explained in a whisper.

"So! We shouldn't be hiding from-"

"SHUT UP!" Tino and Kyle whisper-yelled at me.

"Oh, but Kelsey, it's not fair, I liked him first, she shouldn't get him! She's, like, the freaking tomboy!" I overheard Bethany say to Kelsey, with a whine in her voice.

"I know Bethi, and Kyle is friends with the uber hot Jesse, and he was our only chance..." Kelsey said with a fake sympathetic voice.

"But, Tino, he has, like, even closer relations with Jesse, them being, like, brothers and all, but you'll get the hot and I'll get the (I have censored out what she thinks of Tino, to cruel and shallow for publishing of any type...), I mean even if I pretended to like him, play with his emotions, what more fun would I have, I mean you get, like, Jesse, and like you said, he's, like, hot." By this time they were out of earshot and poor Tino was insulted, along with me, except, 'like' (ha-ha, I'm Bethany), I enjoy being a 'freaking tomboy'. Poor Bethany, she doesn't get everything she wants, boo-hoo, now she needs to throw a fit like a spoiled brat.

_Editors Note: please, because you can't hear the sarcasm from Lea as you read this, please reread it, unless you read it with my sarcasm, with sarcasm, strongly expressing the boo-hoo and the poor Bethany... _

And you know what? What she said about Tino, hey now that was just down right mean, I mean, yeah he's not his brother, but he still is cute... His hair is nice and cute and long, but not in the is-it-a-girl-or-boy(?) way, more like the skater-boy cut, even though stereo-typing hair is so wrong, but hey, that's the best way to describe his beautiful hair (So hey, I like hair, is there a problem, I mean, come on, you know a guy with skater's long hair is cute, and Tino, his hair with his root-beer colored eyes, now you got to see it to believe it.). Back to the important things... ok, the "important" things... also known as why, Kyle, why!?

"Why Kyle?" I asked after we got back on the sidewalk, the coast clear of Bethany and her shallower than her cousin.

"Why not?" He said, saying it in an am-I-right voice.

"What's her problem, why am I always compared to my brother, I mean god! Nothing bothers me more than Jesse. Come on! He's a stupid bone head, and no girl has any chance with him in the next fifty years, all these other girls are lined up to touch him. So what if I'm not as handsome, but if I do say so myself I am much better look-"

"Oh shut up and stop being jealous, Tino!" Kyle said.

"Kyle, you don't know what its like, I mean, if anything, you're the top dog, not second best like we underdogs here..." I said I sympathize with Tino; I get the same thing, being a girl and all.

"Lea, you're the top dog in my world..." Kyle said in a sad attempt to be sweet.

"Oh Kyle! I love you!" I said in my best soap-opera voice, and then flatly I said, "But seriously, cut the bull."

"How poisonous are apple seeds?" Tino asked back at my garage.

"Not much, why?" I said.

"No reason," Tino said in that voice. You know; the voice people use when they want you to know that they are lying and they also want you to think it's the truth.

"If it doesn't say 'you'll lose ten pounds by eating this for a month', Bethany wouldn't eat it, so drop that plan," I said, assuming this was his initial idea.

"Yeah, you know how girls are," Kyle said.

"Um, hello?" I said, boys, they always forget I'm a girl. I've done it too, I admit, forgetting I'm a girl and insult the way girls are, but after being with the boys for so long… ANYWAYS!

"She wouldn't eat anything," Tino said. How sad, that was the truth.

"Then why did you want to know how poisonous apple seeds are?" I asked, a little curios, "You better not say that you wanted to eat them and kill yourself, no girl is worth that. Besides, that's _my_ suicidal plan… remember?"

"Sure…" Tino said doubtfully.

"Anyways, our problem is half solved, she's falling into our trap, but from what she said, I have to admit that she might not fall in love with you Tino…" I said, remembering our plan.

"Leandra," Kyle said seriously, well, kind of, "We never had a plan, you liked me anyways."

"Darn, right when I thought I was the only one that knew that… You just ruin my fun… and you like it too…" I said, half sarcastic, half in the what-ever mood.

"Well, I'm just saying, we _don't_ have a plan…" Kyle said. Again.


End file.
